slimharpo

I was thinking about the Frank Sinatra cancelled session legend, has it ever been confirmed? It seems very coincidental that Jerry Ragavoy would be on hand with such a dramatic arrangement in his back pocket and have Lorraine Ellison with him, well rehearsed in the song. I would have assumed that having such an orchestra hanging around for rehearsals on a new song with an unknown singer would have been very expensive.

Hi Sean. Maybe then as a journalist he should have balanced out his criticism by giving credit to Jerry Ragavoy for the many soul classics he was responsible for instead of describing his efforts as 'artificial, fraudulent and insincere' and a 'contrived piece of melodramatic histrionics'. He had an opportunity to link J.R. with Piece Of My Heart in this review and for whatever reason chose not to. Anway if some people do not like Stay With Me they can flip over for I Got My Baby Back, a superb soul track in my book which DG chose to ignore or maybe the 2 stars were for that. I was being deliberately controversial about the Contempo link by the way and I agree that the Bessie Banks 45 deserved 5 stars! Just to be clear I was a fan of DG and mostly enjoyed his columns even getting a mention in one once!

I recently read the Sam Cooke biography by Peter Guralnick and recalled he mentioned Horace Ott a few times. I've just checked the book again and it seems he was introduced to Sam by his 'cousin' Don Covay (He was also involved in Don Covay's 1973 album SuperDude). He arranged some syrupy albums for Sam but also did one of my favourite S.C. tracks Baby, Baby, Baby. Most surprising to me was that Horace Ott arranged the 'Cassius Clay' album on Columbia!

I'm not/wasn't anti Dave Godin and I didn't think my comments were. I used the words 'surprised' and 'maybe' to explain my comments.

November 21, 1961 : One of the rare HANK BALLARD sessions outside of Cincinnati. In New York City he records "Miss Twister" and "Up And Away", both for the LP "The Twistin' Fools" (King LP 781), released in February 1962. "Hello Lover, Goodbye Tears" from this session remains unissued. Personnel includes Buddy Lucas (tenor sax), Mickey Baker (guitar), Ernie Hayes (piano) and Navarro Hastings (bass). Arranged by Horace Ott. This any good?

This DG B&S column is in issue #170 September 1975. Reading it again reminded me how disappointing his columns could be sometimes, especially when he went on a rant about something. Commercialisation insofar as "Ëœdumbing down' the essence of Soul music was a relevant topic but could have been adequately covered in 2/3 paragraphs IMO. However, I was particularly interested in his scathing review of the re-release of Lorraine Ellison's "ËœStay With Me' which he describes as artificial, fraudulent & insincere, an opinion he formed when it was first released. He goes on to say in his view it is a "Ëœcunningly calculated exercise in plastics emotion' He also wonders "Ëœhow much calculated conniving went into its creation' and that L.E. was "Ëœprobably putty in the hands of her producers' phew! He then goes on to compare it with "ËœTrue Deep Soul' such as Piece Of My Heart, Erma Franklin and Soul numbers sung by artists like Irma Thomas. What surprises me is that DG doesn't seem to know or ignores the fact that Piece Of My Heart and many of the great Irma Thomas songs e.g. Time Is On My Side were written and often produced by the same writer/producer as Stay With Me, Jerry Ragavoy. J.R. also created great Deep Soul with Garnet Mimms & Howard Tate and many others. This column was written about 8 years after the song came out and Jerry Ragavoy was pretty well known by then yet he isn't mentioned in the review as maybe having a lapse in taste in DG's view. I happen to think he was wrong by the way but obviously he was entitled to his opinion but maybe he did not know as much as he thought or he was guilty of shoddy research. No surprise he gives 5 stars to his employer's Contempo album release! Comments anyone?

Number 50 Brian.

Couldn't believe my ears. Anyone else heard it?

My latest Public Service Post! B&S number 50. The iconic report of DG's visit to The Wheel. If anyone recognises themselves in the pics or recognises others who are still into Soul Music, perhaps they could post their info on here + anyone who was there but is not in the pics? Later on I will post up issues where DG gives namechecks to those who wrote into him about soul records, maybe you are in there?!

Little Royal - I Surrender on Tri-Us. Cracking tune for less than a tenner, flip of Soul Train

Here are scans for the B&S issue 48, December 1970 where DG announces his plans to visit The Wheel, interestingly there were concerns about it being closed down then! I will post up the report on the actual visit soon.

What an odd statement. Many great soul records were virtually ' home made' including the early Motown classics. Are you honestly saying these were skiffle? Perhaps you prefer overblown, over produced records that have any innovation or inspiration removed. If so, fair enough, everyone to their own taste.

Skiffle? I can't detect a washboard or tea chest bass in the mix. Am I missing something?

In JM's info for this copy of I'm Shakin' he promotes the fact that it is the original issue that is up for auction and not the later issue 'that occasionally comes up for sale'. The 1st issue has Cottage For Sale as the flip and the later issue has Person To Person. However, the later issue has percussion over the spoken part where there he was unaccompanied in the first version (still with me?). I much prefer the 'beefier' later version, what do others think?

Part 2 of the Up North B&S Dave Godin column. I will next post the lead up to his Wheel visit which he desribes as a 'pious pilgrimage'(!) then i'll post his Wheel article with pics of punters attending.

Further to the B&S that sold in JM's auction for £104 which had part 2 of the Dave Godin columns which perhaps were the inspiration for the term 'Northern Soul'. Luckily I have the mags with Parts 1&2 plus the issues where he expressed his 'excitement' at going to visit the Wheel and his subsequent review of that visit with pics. I'll post these later. I will also post columns where he mentions a number of collectors who wrote into him identifying their favourite soul record, including me! Perhaps other Soul Sourcers are named. Here are the scans for Part 1 of 'The Up North Soul Groove'. I hope you can magnify them so that they can be read.

Will do Jim. I was looking through my other copies of B&S and I have the one where Dave Godin visited The Wheel with pics! I'm sure someone on here will recognise themselves, I'll post those too. Also in some of the issues people wrote in and named their favourite sound so again, I think people on here will be mentioned. In fact I am mentioned in one issue naming my favourite Soul sound - Ben E King's Walking In The Footsteps Of A Fool (still is!) and in a paragraph below my name, Derek Howe of Beating Rhythm lists a Dixie Nightingales track as his favourite. I've met Derek many times in B.R. but until now never knew we had a Dave Godin connection! I'll gradually post these if people would be interested?

I have Blues & Soul 36&37 with parts 1&2 of the seminal Dave Godin Soul Up North articles, I will swap for a Malibu condo if anyone is interested?

All records condition guaranteed. Postage £1.50 in UK. £3.50 elsewhere Europe. £4.50 elsewhere. Payment by Paypal GIFT or cheque please. PM me if interested Edwin Starr — 25 Miles — Gordy VG+ plays great £5 Lou Johnson — Unsatisfied — BigTop surface scuffs but plays NM £10 Jackie Wilson — You Brought About A Change In Me — Brunswick VG+ £5 Ray Charles — Your Just About To Lose Your Clown — ABC M- £12 Jackie Wilson & Linda Hopkins — Say I Do — Brunswick yellow Demo Nr EX £18 Marvellos — Piece Of Silk/Yes I Do — WB Demo M- 2 superb dance sides £18 Freddie Scott — I'll Be Gone — Shout M- £30 Otis Redding — Look At The Girl — Atco great M- £12 Tams — Tell You For The Last Time — Passion M- Modern dancer £8 Cash McCall — I'm In Danger — Checker some light marks on glossy vinyl NAP £25 Pookie Hudson — Jelous Heart — Double L EX £25 Joyce Lawson — Love Uprising — Mutt & Jeff M £10 Johnny Nash — Moment Of Weakness — WB M- £20 The Coasters — Cool Jerk — King Demo £22 Joe Stampley — Not Too Long Ago — Paula M- £8 Mr Bloe — Groovin' With Mr Bloe — U.S. DJM great Mod M- £10 The Miller Sisters — I'm Telling It Like It Is — GMC — M- £15 South Shore Commission — I'd Rather Switch Than Fight — Wand — I recommend this to any Modern collector great double sider, I've had a copy since the 70s in M- condition and only £5!! Spooner & The Spoons — Wish You Didn't Have To Go — Fame Demo M- £22 Johnny Moore — Haven't I Been Good To You — Wand M- £12 Bobby Jones — Sugar Baby/Certain Feeling — VJ Demo M- £10 Bobby Hutton — I've Got A Memory — Philips great M- £10 Otis Redding — Look At The Girl — Atco prod Bert Berns belting Mod R&B Dancer M- £10 Innervision — Honey Baby Be Mine — Private Stock Demo M- £12 UK Issues Charlie Rich — Mohair sam/I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water — Mercury with rare promo sleeve EX £12 George Freeman — Why Are You Doing This To Me — JayBoy M- £15 Della Reese — Who Is He And What Is He To You — People M- great uptempo version £8 O.C. Smith — Just Couldn't Help Myself — Caribou M- £4 Lamont Dozier — We Don't Want Nobody To Come Between Us — Probe great uptempo after spoken intro M- £8 David Ruffin — I Can't Stop The Rain — Motown Demo M- £30 Cheers

I sold a mint copy, to Henry Atkinson I think, for £25 about 15-20 tears ago. I thought I had done well as I had bought it for a £1 in the early 80s!

Hi Dave. I am not surprised that she has had a couple of things played on the northern scene just as I would not be surprised if there was a Ken Dodd B side c/u being played somewhere on the 'scene'. I was asking whether Sandie Shaw merited a dedicated thread to her in SS. If so perhaps we can look forward to Nosmo King being artist of the week? LOL

Thanks Mal for your gracious reply. I've been collecting since 1960 but wouldn't presume to know exactly where the line should be drawn between Soul and non soul but I would hazard a guess it has to be somewhere near Sandie Shaw!

There's no need to call me a silly bugger. I am entitled to ask the question. I have not read every single post on here so I was unaware Sandie Shaw has been discussed on here previously but it surprises me as IN MY OPINION she was dreadful right from the off. I have listened to her since and her warblings are just as unsoulful as they were and have not improved with age.

Since when has Sandy Shaw covering a Rolling Stones song been a relevant subject for Soul Source??!!!

Thanks Tony. I bought the EP as a new release and thought it sounded 'muffled' then before I knew how records were made! I have since bought the Argo 45 and my copy sounds great, not 'mushy' or muffled. A truly great track IMO.